GREENSBORO, N.C. – After advancing to the CAA Championship match for the third time in the last five seasons, the William & Mary men's tennis team suffered a narrow 4-2 setback to UNCW on Sunday afternoon at the Piedmont Tennis Center. The top-seeded Seahawks took the doubles point thanks to a tiebreaker match at No. 3, before W&M (11-12) answered by claiming first sets at four of the six singles positions. Despite victories from senior Aidan Talcott and junior Alec Miller, UNCW (14-8) rallied to win two of the three, three-set tilts and secure its third CAA title in the last five years.
 
The all-important doubles point came down to the No. 3 spot. After UNCW took the lead with a victory at the second position, senior Ryan Newman and junior Christian Cargill continued their strong play. Trailing 5-3, the Tribe pair won four-straight games to knock off Agustin Savarino and Ignasi de Ruea, 7-5. Newman and Cargill improved to 3-0, including 2-0 at the CAA Championship. Michael Copeland and Gabe Hocevar secured the initial point of the match, outlasting senior Addison Appleby and junior Lars de Boer in a tiebreaker, 7-6 (2), at No. 3. 
 
Talcott put W&M on the board with another dominating performance at No. 1 singles. He dropped just one game in rolling past Andres Torres, 6-0, 6-1, for his seventh win in the last eight matches. Talcott, who improved to 17-10 overall and 13-7 at the top spot, won all three of his matches at the CAA Championship, dropping just five total games in the process. Over his two seasons with the Green and Gold, Talcott went 4-0 at the CAA Championship in singles play and finished ranked ninth in W&M history with a 64.3 singles winning percentage (36-20).
 
After a UNCW victory at No. 3, Miller pulled the Tribe even at two with his sixth career triumph in the CAA Championship. Miller took the opening set from Raphael Calzi, 7-5, at No. 4, but the Seahawk player looked poised to force a third set, jumping out to a 4-1 lead. The Tribe junior answered by winning five-straight games to pull out the 6-4 victory. It marked his 50th career singles win as he upped his ledger to 13-11 overall.
 
The championship came down to a trio of three-set matches at No. 2, No. 5 and No. 6. W&M jumped out to set advantages at No. 2 and No. 6, while UNCW took the first at No. 5. de Boer won opening set, 6-2, at No. 6, before Michael Copeland rallied to give the top seed a 3-2 lead with 6-4, 6-2 victories in the final two sets.
 
At No. 5, senior Damon Niquet came back from a set deficit and a major hole in the second set against Daniel Groom. After the UNCW rookie took the opening set in a tiebreaker, 7-6 (4), he jumped out to a 5-2 lead in the second and was on the brink of clinching the team triumph. Niquet fought back by winning five-straight games to force a decisive third set with a 7-5 win in the second. Niquet finished his Tribe career ranked fifth in school history in singles winning percentage (.655) and 15th in singles wins (72).
 
Unfortunately, UNCW closed out the CAA title with at three-set win at No. 2. Cargill took the opening set from Agustin Savarino, 6-2, and led in the second, before the Seahawk player pulled out the set, 7-5. He carried the momentum over to the third, clinching the CAA title with a 6-1 victory. The loss snapped Cargill's seven-match winning streak.
 
UNCW 4, William & Mary 2
Singles
No. 1 – Aidan Talcott (W&M) def. Andres Torres (UNCW) – 6-0, 6-1
No. 2 – Agustin Savarino (UNCW) def. Christian Cargill (W&M) – 2-6, 7-5, 6-1
No. 3 – Ignasi de Ruea (UNCW) def. Addison Appleby (W&M) – 6-3, 6-2
No. 4 – Alec Miller (W&M) def. Raphael Calzi (UNCW) – 7-5, 6-4
No. 5 – Damon Niquet (W&M) vs. Daniel Groom (UNCW) – DNF, 6-7, 7-5  
No. 6 – Michael Copeland (UNCW) def. Lars de Boer (W&M) – 3-6, 6-4, 6-2
Finishing Order: 1, 3, 4, 6, 2*
 
Doubles
No. 1 – Cargill/Newman (W&M) def. Savarino/de Rueda (UNCW) – 7-5
No. 2 – Torres/Morphy (UNCW) def. Bautil/Talcott (W&M) – 6-3
No. 3 – Hocevar/Copeland (UNCW) def. Appleby/de Boer (W&M) – 7-6 (2)
Finishing Order: 2, 1, 3*